Iran has suffered a major loss amid escalating hostilities with the United States and Israel. The head of the intelligence organisation of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed on Monday in a “terrorist attack by the American-Zionist (Israeli) enemy”, Iranian media said, citing a statement by the Guards.
As per Reuters, Majid Khademi, who becomes the latest key figure killed in U.S.-Israeli air strikes, took over in 2025 after Israeli air strikes killed his predecessor.
Who is Majid Khademi?
Majid Khademi was a senior Iranian military intelligence leader who most recently served as the head of the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — one of Iran’s most powerful and secretive security institutions. Born and raised in Iran, Khademi spent decades rising through the ranks of the country’s security and intelligence apparatus, acquiring advanced academic credentials including a PhD in National Security and Strategic Defence Sciences.
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Khademi first came to prominence in Iran’s defense establishment through roles focused on counter-intelligence and information protection. From 2018 to 2022 he was head of the Information Protection Organization at Iran’s Ministry of Defense, and in 2022 he was appointed head of the IRGC’s Intelligence Protection Organization, the unit responsible for counter-espionage and internal security within the Guards.
In June 2025, following the death of his predecessor Mohammad Kazemi in an Israeli strike, Khademi was appointed chief of the full IRGC Intelligence Organization — the principal intelligence arm of Iran’s elite military corps. In this position he oversaw both external intelligence operations and internal surveillance activities, making him a key figure in shaping Iran’s intelligence posture amid intensifying tensions with the United States, Israel, and regional adversaries. It is not fully clear how much operational control he personally exercised in ongoing intelligence operations or strategic decisions.
Khademi was widely regarded as a hardline figure who publicly framed Iran’s domestic unrest and foreign pressure as engineered by Western and Israeli adversaries. Some details about his role in specific covert operations or the scale of his influence within the IRGC hierarchy remain uncertain. In early 2026 he made statements accusing foreign forces of plotting to destabilize Iran, illustrating his role not just operationally but also in shaping Tehran’s narrative about internal security threats.
On April 6, 2026, Iranian state media and Revolutionary Guard statements confirmed that Majid Khademi was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes as part of the broader 2026 conflict.
Khademi’s death removes one of the most experienced and influential figures in Iran’s defense and intelligence establishment at a critical moment in the conflict. It remains uncertain how quickly a replacement will consolidate control or whether Iran’s intelligence operations will face short-term disruption.
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The loss of Majid Khademi represents a significant blow to Iran’s intelligence and security apparatus, removing a senior strategist with decades of experience. How Iran will adapt to this leadership vacuum remains unclear, as his expertise in both external operations and internal surveillance was central to coordinating the IRGC’s activities. The timing of his death amid an ongoing conflict adds pressure to Tehran’s strategic decision-making, and it is uncertain whether the next leadership can maintain the same level of operational cohesion or control over sensitive intelligence networks.
Regionally, this development could embolden adversaries, though the extent of any short-term advantage remains uncertain. Domestically, the vacuum may trigger shifts within the IRGC hierarchy or influence internal factional dynamics, potentially affecting Iran’s broader security posture. In sum, Khademi’s death highlights the vulnerability of Iran’s command structure in wartime and underscores the challenges Tehran faces in maintaining intelligence effectiveness while navigating escalating regional tensions.